Australia have booked their place in the World Cup final after a nail-biting three-wicket win over South Africa in Kolkata. Chasing 213 to win, the Aussies were in trouble at 96-5 before Travis Head’s heroic 62 off 48 balls turned the tide. Head also took two crucial wickets with his off-spin as South Africa were restricted to 212 all out. The Proteas had recovered from a disastrous start of 24-4 thanks to David Miller’s brilliant 101, but it was not enough to stop Australia from reaching their seventh World Cup final.
Australia will face hosts India in the final at Ahmedabad on Sunday, in what promises to be a blockbuster clash between the two cricketing giants. India have been unbeaten in the tournament so far, while Australia have bounced back from two defeats in the group stage. Both teams have won the World Cup five times each, and will be eager to add another trophy to their cabinet.
South Africa, meanwhile, will have to wait for another four years to end their World Cup drought. They have never reached the final of the tournament, and have suffered some heartbreaking losses in the knockout stages. This was their fourth semi-final defeat, and perhaps the most painful one, as they came so close to upsetting the defending champions. They will have to regroup and play for pride in the third-place playoff against England on Saturday.
